Good news keeps coming for Lions with Lachie Neale set to return

Lachie Neale’s late withdrawal spelt trouble for the Lions, but the side was still able to record a huge win at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

The 2020 Brownlow Medallist is in the frame to return. (Photo by Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan expects star midfielder Lachie Neale will be fit to take on St Kilda after the Brownlow Medal winner missed the Lions’ 52-point win over Adelaide.

Neale strained a calf at a mid-week training session and was ruled out of Saturday’s 17.9 (111) to 8.11 (59) win at Adelaide Oval on the morning of the match.

“I’d be surprised if he’s not in the team next week … I hope I don’t regret saying that but that would be my expectation,” Fagan said.

“His shoulder’s recovered really well but he just had a bit of a calf niggle.

“He was able to run at about 80 to 90 per cent speed (on Friday) but I didn’t think it was worth the risk.

“He could’ve played, but I think we made a good decision there. He wasn’t able to train properly all week and he got a bit of a knock on the shoulder anyway so it made sense to give him a spell.”

The Lions could’ve used Neale’s class in a hard-fought first half against a dogged Crows outfit.

Having arrived from Melbourne on match day due to Covid restrictions, the Lions edged to an eight-point break at half-time before a late blitz sealed the 52-point win that improved their win-loss record to 11-4.

Former Crow Jarryd Lyons was instrumental in the victory with 31 possessions in his 150th AFL match.

“Jarryd’s milestone was especially hard-earned given he’s been at three clubs,” Fagan said.

“He was a popular guy at the Crows but when he was here it was a pretty good midfield and it was hard to crack it.

“For some reason, which I’m not sure of, Gold Coast were prepared to let him go and he’s been an absolutely magnificent bloke to coach.

“He’s got great leadership qualities and he’s a damn good footballer and decision-maker out on the field.

“He doesn’t look all that sexy, I suppose, in the way that he plays the game but he’s very, very effective and we’re so pleased to have him.”

Star defender Harris Andrews limped off after his left knee got caught under an opponent late in the first half. However, he was able to play out the game with Fagan confirming he will also be fit to tackle the Saints.

Neale’s season has been hampered by injury. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Nicks staying positive

It will go down in the record books as a 52-point thumping but Matthew Nicks doesn’t feel like the size of the Crows’ loss to Brisbane paints the complete picture of what transpired at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

The Crows, who lost Taylor Walker to a neck injury in the second quarter, took the fight right up to the premiership fancies and trailed by just two goals late in the third quarter.

As the Lions took control of the match to extend their lead to 24 points at three-quarter time, Nicks could’ve had his team play to minimise the scoreboard damage.

But with an eye on the future, the coach instead chose to experiment a little – Tom Doedee’s redeployment up forward was a prime example – and keep attacking the game.

“The margin, in the end, I didn’t feel represented the game at all,” Nicks said.

“I thought we fought it out well and we tried a number of things.

“When you’re three or four goals down there are things you do as a coaching group and a playing group.

“You’d rather lose by five or six goals than not try and do something different, so we did that.

“Unfortunately against a really good side they’re going to punish you for any mistakes.

“Towards the end of the game there were a few goals out the back where we were a bit too aggressive and we’ve gone a bit too far on the attacking side and we’ve been exposed.

“It was disappointing that we didn’t get the job done in the end and disappointing to finish with a team running over us.

“But we did release our players a little bit and take the game on a bit more than we normally would.”

Nicks was unsure if he will need to continue to tinker with his forward structure without Walker when the Crows take on Essendon next week.

The veteran’s head snapped back in a sickening collision with Daniel Rich, but he was in good spirits after the match and had not suffered a concussion.

Having dropped to a 5-10 record with the loss, Nicks must tread a fine line with selection for the rest of the campaign as he looks to get games into youngsters while more experienced players like Tom Lynch and Lachie Murphy come off the injury list.

“It was Lynchy’s first game back and I think he kicked three goals,” Nicks said of the veteran forward’s SANFL return from a long-term foot injury.

“He’s obviously a class player, but there will be a period of time that he needs to get his game back to the level to be able to perform.

“Murph’s played his second game now, so if they deserve to come into the side they’ll come in.

“We look at the things that we value in the way that we play our footy - if they’re giving that at SANFL level and there are guys at AFL level that aren’t, well that’s how we select the side.

“It’s not selected around younger guys playing.”

Nicks took over as Adelaide’s senior coach last season. Picture Sarah Reed

The Brisbane Lions have overcome the pre-game loss of Lachie Neale and a spirited effort from Adelaide to tighten their grip on a top-four spot with a late blitz sealing a 52-point victory.

With Neale ruled out with a calf injury on Saturday morning, the Lions struggled to shake the determined Crows before breaking the game open with a six-goals-to-three third quarter that set up the 17.9 (111) to 8.11 (59) win at Adelaide Oval.

Brisbane spread the load well in the absence of the Brownlow Medallist, with former Crow Jarryd Lyons pivotal in bringing his old side undone in his 150th game.

Mitch Robinson was his usual combative self, Lincoln McCarthy booted four goals and Zac Bailey showed why many regard him a superstar in the making with a career-high 15 contested possessions and three goals.

“We were particularly worried about tonight’s game … Adelaide are a team on the improve,” Lions coach Chris Fagan said.

“We haven’t done a fly-in, fly-out (on match day) before so that was an interesting test for us.

“By and large, they toughed it out and it’s a good positive result for us from all sorts of angles.”

The Crows, who lost Taylor Walker to injury before half-time, can feel aggrieved by the size of the final margin that doesn’t accurately reflect how hard they made their well-credentialed opponents work for their 11th win of the season.

Rory Laird and Ben Keays were never far from the action and Paul Seedsman was damaging with two goals off a wing.

“We competed all day with them … we had our chances but we just couldn’t convert in front of goal,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks said.

“In the end, they were too good for us in the last.”

Brakes on

A week after the Lions played some scintillating, free-flowing footy in a 44-point win over top-four rival Geelong, Chris Fagan’s side struggled to release the handbrake applied by a dogged Crows outfit in the first half.

Adelaide was on the wrong side of a 21-9 inside 50 count in the first quarter, but the home side did well to deny its opponents clean entries into attack to go into the first break just nine points down.

The game was an arm-wrestle early before the Lions pulled away. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Tex exits

Walker left the game 13 minutes into the second quarter after he suffered a strained neck in a heavy collision with Daniel Rich and Joe Daniher put his side 15 points up with his second goal soon after.

But again, the Crows battled on to trail by eight points at the main break.

Lions launch

McCarthy helped spur the Lions with two goals in the third quarter. Dayne Zorko had a quiet night with just two disposals to half-time, but the skipper made it a 24-point game at three-quarter time with his second goal.

The visitors’ premiership credentials were on display in a clinical final term. Having absorbed Adelaide’s best, the Lions added a nice percentage boost with a six-goals-to-one final flourish.

CROWS 2.1 4.4 7.7 8.11 (59)

LIONS 3.4 5.6 11.7 17.9 (111)

PHELAN’S BEST CROWS: Laird, Keays, Seedsman, O’Brien, Sholl, Butts. LIONS: Lyons, Adams, Bailey, Robinson, McCarthy, McCluggage.

GOALS CROWS: Seedsman 2, McKay, Schoenberg, Sloane, Thilthorpe, Walker, Doedee. LIONS: McCarthy 4, Bailey 3, Cameron 3, Daniher 2, Zorko 2, McStay 2, McCluggage.

INJURIES CROWS: Walker (neck strain). LIONS: Neale (calf, late withdrawal).

UMPIRES Fisher, Gavine, Fleer

ADELAIDE OVAL

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

JASON PHELAN’S VOTES

3 J. Lyons (Bris)

2 M. Adams (Bris)

1 R. Laird (Adel)